A reporter once asked Marilyn Monroe, "What did you have on during the [Playboy] shoot?" Her response? "The radio."
Music's always had a way of psyching us up for anything, from photo shoots to going out. In fact, it plays such a prominent role in our lives that we often end up taking it for granted as a part of our daily routine. So it comes as no surprise that many people don't put enough thought into how it not only provides us a way to get through the day but also a perfect means to get through the night.
Music for college students plays a few roles when it comes to sex. I've seen a lot more guys toting guitars around campus this year -- no surprise. Generally, if you're a musician, it gets you some. Of course, if you're a musician, music can help you in more ways than simply setting a good mood. Being a musician is often like dancing -- you don't need to be a good dancer to be good in bed, but most guys who are good dancers put those skills to work elsewhere. The same thing applies to musicians: good finger technique is a life skill.
For those of us who are slightly less coordinated, music is still the perfect way to seduce and lead your partner in the direction you want to go. OK, so I hold no illusions that for most Hopkins students, seduction is often the least important aspect of music. For many, it's the music they throw on once they've come back from the 2 a.m. curfew that can make all the difference.
When I bring up the "music and sex question" with friends, I've found that that most people have their stand-bys ,but often it takes a bit of prodding for them to realize that's what those playlists are. These tracks often fall into two categories: pacing music and cover-up music.
Good pacing music lets you know where you are in the night, and it should be a mix or CD that covers the English 101 plot diagram: rising action, climax and falling action.
So now you're ready to give the music a shot, but the question is: What music and who picks it? I think I'll default to a friend to answer this one. "I just listen to whatever music the girl is really into," he says. "One time, I was with a girl who really loved country. I hate country, but I just powered through anyway, because that's what you gotta do." Although I like the gender default (when the girl's happy everyone wins), you should be able to take control of the selection.
So now that you know who should pick the music, what should you be playing? A mix is always good, and a good rule of thumb is if you would dance to it, you can have sex to it. A random selection of friends I've asked have come back with everything from Maroon 5, Sean Paul and Counting Crows to Pink Floyd and techno. The first three are good for setting the mood, while the second two are best for the other reason that we all appreciate it when you put on music: using music for the public good.
A good example of a time when cover-up music is necessary was when I was walking out of my apartment last week to catch the elevator. Leaving my door, I heard what I first thought was a girl crying. After a few seconds I realized she was definitely not sad. After a few seconds more of waiting, I heard male accompaniment and then blissful silence. This is one of those times when I would've rather heard country, polka, anything, over my friend and his girlfriend taking a nooner.
Hopefully now you might just look at your iPod a bit differently.
